I Am No Man
by DocHippy
Summary: Prince!Killian CS AU. When Prince Killian, adoptive son of Queen Abigail and King Frederick, finds a woman who is said to be increadibly skilled with the sword, he offers her a job as a soldier in his guard. There happen to be more to her story than he realized. Or than she did. Captain Swan. This summary sucks. Rated M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi world! This is my new story. For the ones who got to it through A Tale of Two Pirtaes, I'm really glad you chose to stay with me. And for the ones who are... New to my writing, I have to tell you that english is not my native language, so you'll have to be nice and merciful with me ;)**

**I'm rating this one M, just to be on the safe side. Nothing explicit, really.**

**I hope you'll like this one!**

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"She's said to be quite amazing." Told the young soldier to his friends.

Prince Killian laughed loudly at his guard's words as he suddenly appeared from behind them. "Sounds like quite the night you're planning on having when we get there, lad."

A deep shade of red suddenly covered the young man's cheeks and ears. He was, what, seventeen, eighteen? Killian knew that he was lying about his age, for the boyish behavior contradicted the way he solemnly swore he was twenty-two years old. But he also knew that he had a sick mother and three little sisters at home to feed, so he didn't say a thing to his adoptive parents, Queen Abigail and King Frederick.

"It's not like that, your highness." He mumbled.

Killian flinched at the title. He didn't have a single drop of royal blood running in his veins. It was the King and Queen's kindness, mercy and unfortunate lack of ability to have children of their own that brought him to the position of the only heir to the throne. He was found at the southeren port of their kingdom, holding his brother's dead body in his little, weak arms after he got stabbed in a fight the previous night, completely alone in the world at the age of twelve. He loved them very much and was so greatful it sometimes caused an actual pain in his chest when he thought about it, but he never felt worthy of the throne. Of the kingdom, really, even though he was loved by the people, thanks to his undeniable charisma and good looks.

"Tell me what it is like, then," he asked, half teasing, half curious.

"Um, there is a, um, woman in this town we're about to stay in for the next week. Or at least so I've been told by- um-" mumbled the boy.

"Well, get to it, lad," he smirked playfully at the squirming, slim boy.

"She is said to be extremely skilled with the sword, your majesty. No man has ever been able to defeat her in a duel. People pay money to watch her fight. She's said to be one of the most beautiful women in all the land, and um- sometimes she chalenges men to name the prize they want if they can beat her. Most of them ask for, um-"

"A night in the lady's bed, that I am sure." chuckled the prince. The rest of the guards laughed. The lad, Evans, nodded, his face still in a bright shade of red.

"Aye, but none had succeeded."

"And you plan on trying to win a night with the lady?" Killian grinned widely. Evans blushed even more. He knew it was mean to taunt the lad but he couldn't stop himself. It was too amusing.

"I plan to ask her to teach me how to master the sword as a prize."

The knights bursted out laughing. One of them even began to tear up.

"How incredibly innocent of you, lad." Smirked the prince at his shy smile. "Yet if she is indeed as skilled as she is told to be she would make a great master."

"Are you going to try her, your highness?" asked one of the knights.

"Perhaps, perhaps." grinned the prince, amused at the idea. "We'll see. We should continue riding if we wish to get there before dusk."

A general hum of approval came from his men and they climbed their horses and began to ride towards the small town on the borderline between the united kingdoms of King George and Queen Regina and the kingdom of his parents.

-xxx-

They got to the quiet little town in the early afternoon.

"Bathe and rest, lads." Ordered the prince as the got to a tavern. "Tomorrow we are to begin with the tax collection."

He hated this time of the year. He hated collecting taxes. He hated it. On the bright side, it was almost over, and he would get to see the lass fighting, which should be quite entertaining.

"Your higness," adressed him one of his knights, a man in his mid-fourties called Williams. Christopher Williams if he remembered correctly. "It is a five days jorney back home. You should rest as well."

"Thank you for your concern, Williams." He said sincerely. "But I think I would stay here just a while longer." Williams bowed lightly and marched up the stairs of the inn.

When he turned around he noticed a blonde woman who was looking at him shamelessly. Instead of looking away when their gazes crossed as he expected, she smiled as if she was only waiting for him to notice, and a playful shimmer was dancing in her grayish-green eyes.

He liked her already. Not to mantion she was one of the most beautiful women he have ever had the pleasure to see, even if she was dressed with rags.

He looked down for one brief second, and when his eyes searched the crowd to find her again, he couldn't.

But he would.

-xxx-

Later this evening, he met Evans on his way out of the inn.

"Going to see your lady?" he teased.

"I am, actually, you highness. Even though I'd be a lucky man to call someone like her my lady, if the stories are true."

"Would you mind if I came along?" asked the prince, and the lad's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Well, of course, I- I'd be.." He stumbled upon his own words.

"Let's go then, shall we?" Killian suggested, gesturing at the door which led to the street.

As they walked down the cold, torch lit street, Killian noticed that Evans was respecfully letting him lead the way, always staying a few steps behind him even though he was the only one who actually knew where were they going.

"Do you know the adress?" asked Killian.

"That I do, your highness."

"Lead the way, then, lad, because I have no bloody idea where am I going."

"Oh," blushed Evans. The prince suddenly wondered how exactly he expected him to believe that he was a fully grown man. He was most certainly a boy, and a shy one, too. Brave, but shy.

When they finally arrived, they were nearly too late. "You got here just on time," declared the owner of the show, a small man with a face that reminded Killian of a rat. "She's most certainly a vision. Only twenty four years old and with the heart of a lioness and the skill of the finest knight in any king's army. She's worth your while," He dipped his short fingers in the small bag of coins he just earned greedily. "and your money. Enjoy it. She's in a good mood today, maybe she'll even let some of you chalenge her."

The prince and the guard exchanged a look. Killian had half a smile streching his lips.

When they got inside the building, they found a crumbling wooden stage in the middle of a small hall. Around it gathred about two dozens of people, mostly men, that seemed extremely curious. Killian could see Evans had finally noticed his causual attire, that implied nothing about his royal origins. He had every intention of fighting this woman, and if she was to win, he couldn't have his reputation stained.

He gasped silently as the said woman stepped onto the stage, presented her sword and bowed gracefully.

It was the girl from the tavern.

Only now she was wearing a tight leather shirt with a generous cleavage which gave access to a very impressive view of her breasts and a short skirt that exposed her long legs. She seemed to notice him suddenly, and flashed him a dazzling smile as she recognized him immediatly from earlier.

He definitally liked her.

When a man twice her size came up to the stage after her, she smiled like a wild cat and pounced at him in a fitting manner. Jaws dropped as she spun and dodged and finally pointed her blade to the man's thick neck, making him gasp and drop the sword. She bowed again and tucked a locke of golder hair behind her ear, smiling at the clapping crowd.

"Now, after the little demonstration, let's move to the fun part, shall we?" her bright eyes searched the crowd. "Who would like to fight me?"

"I would," called Evans. She smiled at him.

"What's your name, boy?" She asked as she helped him up the stage.

"Thomas Evans, my lady." he said as she handed him a sword.

"Well then, Thomas, would you like to name your prize now or when you win the battle?"

"I would like you to teach me how to improve my skill with the sword."

She laughed in surprise. "Such a special request," She grinned widely. "Even though I do believe that if you do win, there will be nothing left for me to teach you."

"I think that if I beat you it will be mostly by luck, my lady."

She laughed again. "Well, Thomas, shall we?"

"I'd be honored, my lady."

It didn't take long for her to pin him fo the floor with her blade, though he did fight well, Killian had to admit.

"I like you, boy." She smiled brightly. She helped him up and kissed his cheek .

He was completely dizzy when he got off the stage.

"Anyone else?" She asked. Killian looked up at her to find her looking straight at him and smiling. "How about you, from the tavern earlier?"

He grinned flirtatiously to mirror her and got up to the stage.

"I understand you don't want people to know the prince got beaten by a woman," She whispered, her breath warm on his ear. "I respect that. Reputaion is everything these days, right?"

He grinned at her. "Perceptive lass, aren't you?"

"So I've been told."

"Name your prize, sailor." She winked at him. He smiled, trying as hard as he could to keep it together.

"I'd rather tell you later, love."

"Ooh, confident. I like it."

"Let's begin. We wouldn't want to keep these good people waiting."

When their swords clashed, he could see a huge grin starting to spread across her face. "You're good," she breathed out.

"So I've been told." He said, enjoying the sight of her, all catlike and graceful.

Long minutes passed before she mannged to nail him to the wooden stage with her knees and blade, to the sound of the cheering people. "You're really good," She whispered. "This is the longest anyone survived ever since I got here."

"You are most definitally one of the most impressive women I've ever had the pleasure to meet." He pointed out. "Even though I could think of some more enjoyable activities with a beautiful woman like you on top of me,"

She chuckled. "Hmm, do you now? Maybe if you'll find me later we could try them."

He gulped, making her laugh as she rolled off of him and got up.

"This is it for tonight." She declared once he got off the stage.

He did find her later that night.

And they did try some of the activities he mentioned.

When she was lying next to him, sleepy and beautiful, he suddenly remembered what was he going to ask her as a prize.

"I'd like you to join me as my guard, love."

She propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. "I cant leave my boss. My _owner_, actually. He's giving me food and a place to stay ever since my par-" she abruptly stopped herself. "Ever since I was sixteen. I'd have nowhere to live if I did."

"I'd take care of you, Emma." He promised. He liked her name. He had just learnt it a few hours earlier. Her eyes were softened in the dim light of her room.

"Really?" she whispered.

"Aye, love. Whatever you'll need."

"When do we leave, then?"

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**Review? :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone :) A second chapter to this story, I hope you enjoy it... I don't really know how long is it going to be yet, sooo... Yeah.**

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**Oh, yeah, disclaimer: **I obviously yet sadly do NOT own OUAT.

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She's back to wearing rags, Killian noticed.

"The show owner made me wear those damned clothes." She explained whan he asked about the absecne of her rather seductive attire. "He thought that the slutier I look, the better."

"Many men would agree when it comes to you, love." He pointed out. "Lass, about last night-"

"It was a one time thing, your Highness."

He nodded. "Good. You are a very beautiful woman and I value you highly as a warrior, but-"

"I am no fit to be a prince's lady, nor do I want such a life." She completed causually. He watched her curiously as she packed her few belongings.

"So, are we leaving?" she asked, her eyes running from him to the door and back again.

"No one to say goodbye to?"

"No. Your Highness." The title sounded unnatural coming from her mouth. She clearly wasn't used to adress people who were higher than her in the social scale properly. Her eyes explored him and he felt his pulse quickening. It was a feeling women rarely caused him to feel, and he wasn't completely sure he liked it. What was so special about her?

-xxx-

When they got to the small camp of knights near the border of the town it was near evening. Killian already had his men deal with the taxes, and they were ready to head home.

"This is Emma, mates, she'll be joining us as my guard." He introduced her.

"A woman?" spat out one of the knights, a man named Roberts. "What would she do, scream the threats away? You better take her back to the brothel you found her in, your highness, because-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence before she kicked his knee from behind, causing him to collaps on the ground, having his own sword pointed at his throat within seconds.

"You were saying…?" she growled silently.

"That's enough." Said Killian, but an amused smile tugged at his lips as she got up.

"Does anyone else have an original way to imply that I'm a whore?" she glared at the knights, tucking a lock of golden hair behind her ear. "I am a woman of honor. I do as I wish. I'm equal to you, I will not have men treat me as if I were beneath them because I am a woman." Her eyes roamed upon every single one of the men, dangerous, warning. "Was I clear enough?"

The men nodded, silent.

"I am done being men's property." She declared silently and held out her hand to help Roberts up. He took it, utterly surprised.

"I'm sorry, milady." He mumbled. She nodded.

As she turned to walk towards the horse she now owned, the prince grabbed her hand to stop her. "I've spent enough time trying to collect the remains of my honor, your majesty. I will not underestimate it again." She hissed and pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"I think you regained every last bit of it, now." He solemnly told her.

Her eyes widened in disgust. "By knocking the man down?"

"By helping him up afterwards." He said and turned to look for his horse, leaving her open mouthed and blinking.

_You can win as many fights as you want, Emma, but bringing your opponent down will never say as much about you as helping them up afterwards._

Her father said those words. Those exact words.

She couldn't stop herself.

"Where did you hear these words?" She asked, hiding expertly the tears that gathered in her eyes at the memory of the man she adored the most.

He turned back to look at her, his brow raised curiously. "My mother is saying them every now and then. Why, if I may ask?"

"It's nothing, really. Keep going, I was just curious."

He observed her carefully. "I can tell you're lying, lass, but I can also tell you're not so eager to share this particular detail of your past with me, so I'm backing off, being a gentelman and all."

She didn't even smile at that, she was too deep in her thoughts to recognize the light tone the last part of the sentence was said in. He took adventage of the situation to examine her features more deeply. She was indeed a lovely creature, with her beautiful face and bright hair. It could be almost too easy to forget the fact of her being one of the most talented fencers he had ever met. Which brought him to face another issue.

Her fighting style was utterly royal, as if she was trained by a king.

This brought him to wonder how does an orphan (yes, he had noticed the way she stopped herself from revealing the fact of her parents' death to him in the previous night.) in her early twenties get such training.

Emma Swan was a mystery to him, a mystery from the appealing kind, from the ones that just beg to be revealed. But he has been down this road before. The familiar, overused road of finding someone you could potentially love and losing them. And he would never go down it again.

Never again.

-xxx-

They rode until thick darkness coated everything around them, then set their camp for the night.

Emma breathed in the cold night's air.

She was free.

After her mother died, she knew her father wouldn't be able to last long. He tried as hard as he could, for her, for the sake of his only child, but she knew his heart wouldn't last without the second half of it, that stopped beating. He died soon after, leaving her nothing but a silver ring with a green gem in it and the experience she gained in her 16 years. And the sword, of course. The sword was her way of remembering her father. She had spent her entire childhood practicing in a wooden one he crafted for her, admiring the real, metal sword from afar.

One day, she got into a fight where she got to try her skills in a real combat. Fortunately for her -or unfortunately, it depends on the way you looked at it- an owner of a small, unsuccessful theater watched her and recognized a good opportunity. She became his main show and he supplied her with food, clothes and shelter.

Until she turned eighteen everything was fine, give or take, but then the shows slowly began to get a growing sexual manner. The clothes became more revealing, the bows he demanded her to perform more seductive, and it felf as if she was disrespecting the memory of her father. But it was all over now, behind her, forgotten.

"I'm free, father." She whispered, her eyes fixed on the black night sky. "My path is mine to choose again."

She loved both her parents very much, but she has always felt closer to her father. Even closer after she had to help him keep himself alive for weeks. She drew comfort from pretending he could hear her, even if she knew it couldn't be true. _The dead are gone, _he used to tell her. _And we have to respect them by accepting it._

"Hello, Thomas." She smiled slightly at his poor attempt to remain quiet behind her. He sighed.

"Am I that loud?"

"I'd say no, but you'll learn nothing from it."

She turned to look at him. "How old are you, Thomas?"

"Um.. Twenty two, milady." He bilnked.

"No, Thomas, your real age, if you please."

He rubbed his face with his palm. "I'll be seventeen in two months. Please don't tell the prince, I have-"

"I won't tell anyone, relax." She sighed. "Why would you want to be a guard anyway?"

He hesitated before he answered. "I have to feed my mother and sisters."

"No father?"

"No."

"Dead?"

"Left." His face was reflecting the full strengh of the betrayal he experienced for a moment.

"I think it's a very brave thing of you to do, if it helps." She offered.

"Thank you, milady."

"Why did you come here in the first place, Thomas?" she asked.

"I was actually wondering if you'd consider teaching me now, when we're stuck together anyway." He confessed, his fingers runinng through his bright hair nervously.

"I'd love that." She smiled. His eyes widened in surprise and delight.

"I'll go fetch my sword, then!" He called, visibly excited.

"You won't be needing it, for now," She chuckled.

"Oh." He blushed lightly. "I have to confess I like you much better this way, milady."

"How?" she laughed.

"When you're really you, not some girl with no self respect who dances around a stage to impress people she shouldn't care for their opinon."

"I happen to like myself this way better as well," She answered earnestly. "You are a very special young man, Thomas."

His blush darkened. She could barely even see it, in the dim light the fire provided.

"Bend your knees." She suddenly ordered him. He hurried to follow her command. "In most cases when you're on the floor you've lost the battle already. You mustn't let anyone knock you down." She circled him. "I am going to try."

He nodded, his jaw clenched.

She smiled to herself as she ran forward and collided with him with all the strengh she had. He fell down with a loud _urgh_.

"Don't worry, I didn't expect you to suceed."

"That's relaxing." He mutterd. She laughed.

"Let's try this again. Until you're stable enough on your feet for the sword." He used her streched arm to get up.

"Okay."

Two more times like the first ended up with him on the ground. "Are you sure you don't want to continue tomorrow or something?" She asked.

"No, I want to suceed. At least once. And I don't want you to take it easy on me. Bring me all you got."

This time when she crashed into him he managed to stay on his feet, and stopped her movment.

"Good!" She breathed. "Very good."

He smiled proudly.

"Go to sleep, Thomas, you did well." She assured him.

"Thank you, milady."

He walked away, looking back at her every couple of steps. So this is what having a sibling felt like, she mused.

"It's very nice of you to teach him." Said the prince's voice from behind her.

"He is a nice boy." She replied.

"It's a five days jorney back to my city. I believe a place for you to stay will be in order. I'll have that managed."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"It's Killian, lass."

"I won't call you that." She declared.

"Why not?"

"You're a prince, your majesty, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of that. I have to show respect fitting to the title."

"It's a sad thing, not to have people to call you by your own name."

"I'm sure there are many other things to help you get over this certain sadness, your highness."

"Wouldn't you like to know, Swan?"

"What gave you this impression, your majesty?"

He laughed as she wished him a pleasent night and walked away, then caught and mentally slapped himself. He was not going down this road again.

He promised it to himself.

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**Review? :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello there :) I'm really sorry about this little (not little) hiatus. Anyway... this is the new chapter, mostly Killian PoV. Hope you'll like it :D**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own OUaT or any of the characters. Nope.

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As they were making their way to the capital city of his parents' kingdom, the prince could feel himself getting more relaxed by the second. The familiar view of the same ocean he could see from the large window of his bed chamber was now visible between the trees of the small forest they were riding through.

He caught himself staring at Emma every now and then, and fortunately she didn't seem to notice. She was riding next to Evans, and seemed to be enjoying his company. She laughed, a sound of sincere amusment and fondness, and he felt release from a pressure he didn't realize that existed in his chest when he saw her reaching over to ruffle the lad's hair.

Sure, he had noticed the development of their relationship over the last few days, but he somehow managed to convince himself that the bitter little stings of jealousy he felt as he watched them were because of the carefree playfulness that seemed to be ever-present between the two of them, because of the absence of things like it in his life.

Bullshit.

He was relieved when he saw her rumpling the boy's blonde, short locks because it was something an older sibling would do. It was something Liam used to do to him, when he was still alive.

Fantastic. How bloody fantastic.

It was perfectly normal of him to _want_ her- she was a beautiful woman. Then why was the only thing that was coming to his mind when he tried to relive the night they had spent together the loveliness of the feeling of her peaceful, sleeping figure in his arms?

He couldn't be developing bloody _feelings_ for the lass, he couldn't be doing that all over again. And, in addition- his desperate mind was trying to work some logic into the emotional mess in his heart- as clever, beautiful and skilled as she is, she wasn't fit to be a prince's mistress, not to mention his _wife-_

_What was he even thinking about? _He had only known the lass for the past few days and was already planning the sodding wedding. So with no other choice he spent the rest of the day trying to distract himself from her, by any means necessary.

When they stopped to make camp for the last night on the roads, he watched from afar as one of the knights chalenged her with a large, hopeful smirk spread across his bearded face, only to be thrown on the ground with her on top of him and his friends cheering less than a minute into the battle. Her hair shone in gold in the light of the fire they managed to light up as she helped the man up, panting and grinning.

She was wonderful, he found himself musing. He thought about how Evans said he would be lucky to call a woman like her his lady, without having the first idea of how right he was.

"I had a friend, when I was younger." She said, keeping her fingers occupied with a small stick she found on the ground near her feet. "His name was August. We made quite the team, actually, we used to pull all sorts of pranks. One day, he dared me to steal his farmer neighboor's rooster, which was quite the large animal, if I may say so. Of course, there was no other choice but to accept the chalenge." She paused her story when she noticed that the prince had joined the circle of listeners.

"Go on, lass." He encouraged her, a reflection of the fire dancing with amusement in his bright blue eyes. She swallowed and nodded.

"Well, anyway, I was probably, um, ten years old. Maybe even nine. And I was a rather small girl. So I snuck into the barn where this farmer was keeping his rooster, and just as I found the poor bird the farmer walked in the barn. So I dived right into a huge pile of hay." She smiled at the memory. "I couldn't even believe it was happening to me. I remember planning to make sure August would pay for it."

"Did he, eventually?" Asked one of the knights, a tall man named Wilson.

"Oh, yes," Emma grinned wickedly. "He most definitely did, and it was even better than I first thought because the farmer started jabbing the pile with his hayfork with me in it. Of course, I immediatly jumped out of it screaming, but I was bloody terrified. I think so was the farmer." She finished her story with a smile on her face.

"Where is your friend now?" asked Wilson.

She swallowed hard. "Long gone," she answered with a small, sad smile. "But I have quite a lot of happy memories to remember him by."

Killian could feel his heart clench for her. Much like him, this woman had lost so much she cared for- her parents (he got more and more convinced he was right about her being an orphan every time he looked at her), her dignity, her dear childhood friend. She made him question things he probably shouldn't question, he thought, like his confidence in how bad love was. But at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to care. She could be his second chance at love, and he could be hers. As frightening as the idea was, it's appeal was strong as well, strong enough to make him catch her by the arm when the men spread around the camp to sleep.

"What is the matter, your Majesty?" She seemed to get used to call him by the title. He hated it.

"I'm quite fond of you, Emma Swan." He began. Her eyes widened in understanding and she shook her head.

"I thought we agreed that this night was a one-time thing, your Highness."

He shook his head in response. "I am not trying to get you laid, Emma." He assured her. "Nor will I force you or use my royalty to win you over. Because when I win your heart, Emma Swan," He took a step closer. "and I will win it," He let go of her arm. "It won't be because of any trickery. It will be because you'll want me, for who I am."

Her eyes were so wide when she just gazed at him for a lingering moment he thought she might be having a severe heart attack and will collapse at any second. "I am in for the long haul." He whispered. "Have a pleasent night, Emma Swan."

She stared at his back for a long time after he had left. She noticed that her mouth was still open and hurried to close it.

He was the first man with an interest in her heart rather than her body in quite a while. Since… Since Graham. And Graham died almost four years ago. It was quite ridiculous, actually, how _every single person_ she has ever loved had died. First August, then her parents, one after the other, and then Graham. The only one who saw past the mask she had to put on for her shows, the only one left to love her for the person she really was. But he was caught hunting in a forest that belonged to the Evil Queen, and the Evil Queen isn't exactly known for her forgiving personality. His body was sent back home a few days after he disappeared. She had cried for an entire night.

The opportunity of having a new love was both terrifying and tempting.

But she could never let go of her first love.

She swore she wouldn't.

-xxx-

When they have finally reached their destination, she didn't really know where should she go now, since she didn't have a house.

"I am going to need you to come with me, Emma," Said the prince from behind her. "My parents need to know you're in the guard so that you could have a place to stay." he added at the doubtful look she gave him. She nodded and followed him through the stables of the castle, to the castle itself.

"Welcome home, my son." greeted him King Frederick when Killian entered the court room. He could barely hear Emma's silent steps behind him.

"Thank you, father." He smiled warmly at the king. "Hello, mother."

"Hello, dear." Grinned Queen Abigail widely at her adoptive son. "I hope your jorney was pleasent." Suddenly, the queen's eyes were fixed at Emma, widened. "Who is this?"

"This is Emma Swan. Our paths crossed in a village near the border and I offered her a job as a guard for being one of the most talented fencers I've ever met."

Emma was genuinely surprised by his comliment, but said nothing, for the queen's bright, grayish-blue eyes were still on her.

"How does a girl from a small village learn the art of the sword, lass?" Asked the king, amused.

"My father taught my to fight so that I can defend myself, your Majesty." She answered honestly.

The king frowned. "A father you were willing to leave in order to come here?"

"A father who died a long time ago, your Highness."

She could feel the prince's gaze on her back, and hated with every fiber of her being the weakness she must have been showing, but she couldn't dishonor her deep love for her father.

The king's gaze softened as he realized the mistake he had made. "I am truly sorry, lass, for doubting your devotion to your family."

"No harm done, your Highness." She assured him, blushing deeply at the apology from the king. Queen Abigail's eyes were still pinned to her face, which made her quite nervous.

"There is nothing more painful than losing your loved ones." Continued the king. Emma really wished he would stopped talking about it. "That is why we need men- people in our guard. That is why I must fight every day to keep my family safe."

Emma smiled at the honesty of King Frederick's words. "True love isn't easy, your Majesty, and you are right- it must be fought for, because once you find it- it can never be replaced."

A sharp gasp from the queen drew everyone's attention. "Who said these words to you, my dear child?" She asked, her eyes shining with tears.

"My father," Replied Emma, forgetting her manners in her confusion.

"Frederick-" The queen turned to look at her husband. "This is James's daughter." She whispered. The king's eyes widened in understanding and recognition. Even the prince seemed to realize something Emma didn't.

"I'm sorry, your Majesties, but you must be mistaken- my father's name was-"

"David." Finished the queen for her, rushing off her throne towards a very baffled Emma. "Your father's name was David, and your mother went by Mary, but her real name was Snow."

Emma just stood there, jaw hitting the floor, as tears were streaming down Queen Abigail's face and gathering in King Frederick's eyes. "H-how do- how do you know-?"

"Your father was a dear friend of ours. We last saw him only a year after he and your mother surrendered thier kingdom to the Evil Queen to prevent her from hurting their people with a terrible, terrible curse." explained the queen, hesitatingly cupping Emma's cheek in her palm. "You were one or two years old. You look just like him."

Emma was scared and confused. _Their _kingdom? _Their_ people? What the bloody hell was going on?

"Is your mother dead as well?" Whispered Queen Abigail softly.

Emma swallowed and nodded.

"Then that makes you Princess Emma of the Enchanted Forest, the only heiress to both thrones of Queen Regina and King George, daughter of King James and Queen Snow White."

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Another update! Emma PoV (mostly) this time :) hope you'll like it :D**

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**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own OUaT or any of the characters. Ha.

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"What?"

The choked whisper that escaped Emma's lips was surprisingly well heard in the large hall.

"Oh, my poor child." The gray-haired queen cupped her face with both hands, tears still shining in her bright eyes. "They never told you, did they?"

"No." Emma managed to blurt. The lump in her throat made it difficult for her to speak. She wasn't a princess. Her parents would have never kept such a secret from her, she was sure of it. She could feel the look of the prince's blue eyes on her back as if they were drilling into it.

"I shall have my second bed chamber allocated to you. You are welcome to stay for as long as you like, and I'll have your clothes washed and some new ones sent to your room." The queen looked at her warmly for a moment. "We owe your father so much, dear. We'll gladly assist you with whatever you need." The king nodded from behind her.

"I thank you for your kindness, your Majesties." She earnestly said.

"I'll have my maid escort you to the room, Emma, and heat water for a bath."

Killian watched as she left the throne room. He could see in her eyes that she didn't believe- didn't _want_ to believe- what his mother was saying. He tried to imagine how would he feel like if something like this would have happened to him- if he would have found out that Liam was keeping such a massive secret from him- and immediately banished the thought, for it made him feel sickness creeping it's way into his stomach. His heart ached for her.

When she showed up for dinner, she was being as charming as she could so that she could remain silent without it being too noticeable. she retired to the room she was now living in as soon as she could.

She didn't get much rest that night.

In her dream, she was 20 years old again, staring at the wooden, simple coffin Graham's body was sent home in. She lifted the heavy case with shaking hands and gasped as she found there not one but _four_ corpses. She was gazing at the cold, dead bodies of her parents, best friend and lover, all pressed together in the narrow wooden box. A wave of paralizing, burning hope shot through her as she saw their eyelids flutter. Horror took it's place as their eyelids lifted, showing her the lack of orbs underneath, and she screamed her soul out as their limbs twitched and spiders were slowly begining to crawl out of their half opened mouths-

She threw herself to a sitting position, rubbing her tear drenched face with her palm, trying to clam herself and steady her rapid, heavy breath. It was a dream, she reminded herself. It wasn't real.

As if she actually thought it would make things better.

She gasped at the quick series of firm knocks on the door.

"Swan?"

Oh, shit. Was she _screaming_?

"Emma, are you alright?" asked the prince from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine, your Majesty." She muttered huskily.

She had to move closer to the door to hear the following sentence properly."It sounded like one hell of a nightmare, if I may say so." He said quietly. He didn't want everyone to hear it, she realized.

He could hear her rest her head against the door in a silent thud. "Was I that loud?" Her voice was coming out muffled.

There was a pause before he answered. "Yes. But you shouldn't be embarrassed about it." He cleared his throat. "Our fears make us human."

Her heart melted at his words, and logic lost the battle against emotion within her as she opened the door to find him standing in front of her.

"Hello there, Swan," He grinned, and she was so greatful and relieved he chose to ignore the clear evidence of the tears she had shed that she felt the urge to hug him. "I was hoping you'd open up eventually."

The double meaning of the last sentence struck her with wonder. He must have done this on purpose. Over the last two days, she have been telling herself that the oath to win her heart was nothing more than him giving up to his tiredness. Maybe she was wrong, suggested a hopeful, treacherous voice deep in her heart.

"May I come in?"

She considered refusing, but she couldn't deny her need for company. For the last four years, and for a long period of time before Graham came into her life, she would fight her demons alone. She would wake up screaming with no one to comfort her too many times. She had lost count at some point.

But now there was this man- a bloody _prince,_ no less- to help her with her late night bloody battle against her fear and sorrow. The appeal of the idea was too strong to ignore.

She nodded and moved to let him inside.

"Now, Swan, would you like to talk about it or would you like me to keep quiet?"

She fought the urge to raise an eyebrow at him. He spoke as if he was a doctor offering her a way to cure her sickness.

"Keeping quiet seems like the better option right now, your Highness."

He pressed his lips together in an emotion she didn't quite recognize. "Though they appear to be harder, Swan, I find talking way more helpful than swallowing everything."

Understanding dawned in her eyes. "So why won't you talk to me about the reason you were roaming aroud in the middle of the night, your Majesty?" She inquired.

He looked at her silently for half a moment and suddenly she was overwhelmed with fear, that she might has stepped over the line.

"You really don't have to call me that now, Emma." He sighed.

"I am not a princess, Your Majesty, and you are ignoring my question."

"What makes you so sure, Emma Swan?" He kept at it, and leaned forward so that she could observe the dark circles under his eyes. He was having nightmares. She was absolutely sure of it.

"My parents wouldn't have lied to me about it." She finally said.

"As it appears to me, Swan, they weren't lying, they just kept things to themselves." He noted, knowing exactly what response would it get him.

"It's the same. Maybe even worse." She declared without hesitation.

"Have you considered the possibility they might have done it to keep you safe?" He asked gently, trying not to push her.

"From what?" She snorted. He scratched behind his ear, nervous all the sudden.

"Swan- I'm honestly not sure if I'm the best person to tell you this. I don't know all the details, but I could tell you what I've been told by my parents about yours, if you want me to."

Her eyes widened. She gulped and nodded briefly.

His eyes searched her for a long moment. "Alright." He gestured at the bed. "May I sit down?"

She nodded again, her eyes never leaving his, desprate to find comfort in the words he was going to say- and only then he realized the importance of the next sentences that were going to leave his mouth.

He sat down next to her on the bed. She could feel heat radiating from him. "Well, your father had been a shepard, until he was, um- _addopted_ by King George, I guess, I don't really know how did this work. And your mother was the step-daughter of the Evil Queen. And… they didn't get along, to say the least. King George and Queen Regina tried to kill them, uh, your parents, I mean. Multiple times." He felt like a complete fool, mumbling and stumbling upon his own words under the fervor of her green gaze. No woman had ever made him feel this way. He wondered if she understood the huge influence she had on him, not even a week after they first met. He wondered if he did himself.

"And- they defeated them, your parents. The people were loyal to them and they took back the kingdoms, united them and got married." He eyed her nervously."And probably conceived you. But then the Evil Queen came back and threatened them and their people. And you, specifically." He watched her holding back tears, but knew he owed her the rest of the stroy. He decided to leave it up to her. "Would you like me to stop now, love? Have I gone too far?"

She shook her head. "No." He could hear a plea hidden in her voice as she said that.

"She threatened to enact a terrible curse. The darkest curse there is, one that would rip everyone apart from their happy endings, unless they hand over the throne. Your parents, being good leaders, surrendered to protect their people. And you." His voice became softer. "The kingdoms split. They had to disappear. The people were loyal to them, and if they would have been present, the people would have rebelled. They probably hid this from you because they knew the queen would come after you if you'd try anything."

She sniffled. "Thank you for telling me this."

He didn't miss the lack of his title in the sentence. It warmed his heart. "You are most certainly welcome, Emma." He noticed her blinking had become heavier, longer. "Would you like me to go so that you can try to sleep again?" He asked her.

_I want you to stay with me,_ thought the emotional part of her mind, but for the first time in this strange, nightly encounter of theirs the logic part took over. "Yes, thank you."

He nodded, and got up. She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, making no move to lie down. A small smirk was now stretching her lips. "Good job on dodging my question, by the way."

He looked baffled. "What question?" He asked.

"The one about the reason you were wandering around in the middle of the night."

A grin was now beginning to play on his lips as well. "Maybe another time, milady." He chuckled, and then took her hand gently in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it lightly. "Goodnight, Emma Swan." He wished her.

"What should I call you if not by the title?" She asked, when he was about to leave the room.

He turned around, and his eyes glowed in the darkness of the room. "The name is Killian Jones, lass."

"Goodnight, then, Killian Jones."

The last thing she was aware of before she fell into a dreamless slumber was guilt for so easily forgetting her pain around Killian Jones.

-xxx-

When she woke up the next morning, she didn't realize where was she at first.

And then she remembered.

She was a _princess._

She was in a _palace._

And she was bloody well hungry.

She dressed up in a blue gown and went down the spiral staircase. When she opened the door to the dining hall she found there the queen, the prince (who gave her a dazzling smile as he saw her walk in) and a man she didn't know, whose laughter was way too loud and forced to her liking.

"Had a good night sleep, princess?" Asked her the prince in a flirtatious tone. She uncontrollably smiled back widely, because surprisingly, she actually did. She was rather greatful for the conversation they had. She was still confused, there was no denying that. But knowing all the facts made her feel better.

"Princess?" Asked the man, slowly creeping (in a lack of a better term to describe how he walked) his way towards her. "Did the prince secretly get married? I would have expected an invitation."

"No, no, it's nothing like that. She is a guest in our home." Explained Queen Abigail.

"Well, how do you do, beautiful?" Emma could see Killian's fist clenching as the man left an open mouthed kiss on her knuckles. She shamelessly wiped her hand on her dress, and Killian couldn't help but chuckle, a short sound that rumbled deep in his chest.

"Fine, how are you?"

Bloody hell, she was turning out to be more and more perfect by the sodding second, he mused.

"I'm fine now, milady. But- I'd be damned if I don't recognize you from somewhere- have we met?"

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure." She said through gritted teeth, getting more and more repulsed by the man with every word he spoke.

"Edgar, I think it's time for you to leave." Said the queen, her tone suddenly urgent.

"I could have sworn you look just like…" His hand came to cup her chin, tilting her head from side to side. Killian couldn't help the low growl that escaped his lips. Emma pulled away.

"Killian, dear, why won't you take our guest to see if there's something for her to eat in the kitchen."

The prince nodded and got to Emma, offering her his arm and locking his eyes with hers.

"She looks like Snow White."

They all froze at his words. He was practically shaking with excitment.

"This is Snow White's daughter." Edgar croaked in his disgustingly husky voice. It wasn't a question. Three pairs of eyes filled with a slight begining of panic.

"The Evil Queen will pay a fortune for her. So will King George," He mumbled as he packed his bags in a hurry.

"Please, wait," Begged the queen, but in vain. He was already running out, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What was that?" Asked Emma, afraid to know the answer.

"He is a slimy bastard, willing to do what ever it takes to get as much money as he possibly can." Said Killian, eyes sparking with worry and rage.

"She can't stay here." Whispered the queen. "They will come looking for her here. We have to hide her. They can't find her."

"Weren't their problems with my parents?" Emma asked, confused.

"Emma, you are the only thing left of your parents. You can claim their thrones lawfully. People will follow you." Said the queen, tears once again in her eyes. "You are a threat to them, Emma, and they do not react well to threats. If they'll find you…" She gulped. "They'll kill you, Emma."

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi :) Umm, so... I won't be home for the next 5 or 6 days, so I won't update, and also this is kind of short. I'm really sorry about it, but I still hope you'll like it. It also means that I'll miss the new episode, so... urgh. Also, there's a LOST reference, because I couldn't help myself.**

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**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own OUat or any of the characters. No. Nopity nope.

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"Emma?" Asked the prince silently when he realized she hadn't said anything in a while. "Are you alright?"

She frowned and pressed her lips together, forming a thin line. "I'm fine."

Queen Abigail examined her, obviously concerned. "What is it, dear?" she inquired

"It's nothing. I just don't like the idea of running and hiding." She answered.

_Don't like _was a serious understatement, Killian could see it in her eyes. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Said his mother.

"I don't have a choice but what? Stay hidden for the rest of my life, never go anywhere in fear I might be found? If this is the life that awaits me, I'd rather die in a battle than compromise for it." She said, fervor lacing in her voice.

"Going up against the Evil Queen and King George is not a battle, love, it's a suicide." He tried to convince her, his brow frowned in worry, but his mother raised her hand to hush him.

"You are so much like your father, Emma, you remind me of him so much. He'd never hide to avoid a battle."

"Nor will I." She declared, chin up, eyes shooting sparks.

"But going alone up against two of the most powerful monarchs in the Enchanted Forest is a foolish waste of a life." finishd the queen. Emma remained silent, the bitterness in her eyes as solid as a wall of stone. "There is, however, another option, that will include hiding. For some time."

"What is it?" asked Killian, assuming Emma was too upset to think straight about any offer.

"We've only started to discuss it last night, before it became urgent. We- we think it will be for the best if Emma will inherit the thrones that used to belong to her parents."

Emma's eyes grew wide with slight fear. "I can't be a queen, your Majesty." She tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows frowning as if she was stating the obvious. "Only last week I was- I was nothing. No one even knew my name."

"You don't have to be a royal to be something, lass." Killian clarified. She turned to look at him as she answered.

"But you must have people that would care if something happened to you. If you don't, no one would even remember you after you die, and you'd become nothing." She quitely said, then blushed and pinned her gaze to the ground, feeling as if she revealed too much. The sadness that washed over him as she said that was overwhelming.

"If the people would know about you, they'd follow you. The loyalty they had to your parents- it was very special. Very rare. They would rebel against the Evil Queen and King George if you would lead them, they are being terrorized by them. And we could support you." At the look in Emma's eyes, the queen cleared her throat. "It doesn't change the fact that for now, you must hide. The Evil Queen _will_ come to look for you here. You must leave nothing of yours behind, so that she wouldn't find you with a locator spell."

Emma swallowed, clearly still unhappy, and nodded briefly. The queen smiled.

"We'll keep you informed. You can live in a cabbin I found in the woods near the border a long time ago. It's rather small, but no one will ever think of searching there."

Emma nodded again.

"I understand you are talented with the sword?" Emma felt herself getting tired of nodding. "Good. Can you handle a bow?"

"My mother taught me." She said.

"I suspected she did. We'll give you a sword, a bow and arrows-"

"I already have a sword." Emma remarked quickly.

"Alright. But you must leave now."

-xxx-

As she was hurrying through the corridors towards her room she bumped into an old lady who was carrying a basket of clean laundry, which fell to the floor as they coilided.

"I'm so sorry," Emma breathed as she dived down to collect the clothes from the floor.

"It's alright, dear." Smiled the old lady. "Who's the father?" She asked.

"What?" She handed the laundry back to the woman, helping her stuff it back into the basket, without really noticing what was she doing. Stunned.

"You are pregnant, dear. You are positively glowing right now, so help sate an old woman's curiosity, who's the father?" Explained the older woman patiently, still smiling warmly. "You know what, you don't have to tell me- just know you're in for an awfully big adventure. I'd know- I've raised five children." She cleared her throat. "Have a good day, dear." and she continued to walk down the hall as if she hadn't just turned someone's world upside down.

It made perfect sense. She did feel quite the nausea during the last few days. But then a sudden realization his her with the force of a thousand fists.

It was his baby. _the prince's_ baby.

"Emma?" Asked the prince from behind her.

_Oh, bloody buggering fucking sodding hell._

How was it even possible? How could her luck be so cruel? Did he hear anything?

"Are you- are you pregnant?"

_Well, damn._

She turned to face him.

"Is it- mine? I mean-"

She saw worry in his eyes, and fear. The prince couldn't have a bastard child. But underneath all of that, she recognized something that made her heart freeze with horror.

She saw hope.

Maybe he wasn't aware to that hope. Maybe his mind was now calculating ways to get out of this mess. But deep in his heart he wished it would be his baby. He wanted a future with her.

And she couldn't handle this.

"No." She lied. For some reason, it made her want to break down and cry. "I was pregnant when I met you. His name was Graham. He died recently."

"Why did you seem so surprised, then?" He blinked.

"I didn't expect anyone to know. I'm only about a month and a half along, I'm not showing yet."

She could see relief washing over him, but also the tiny break in his eyes, the slight tinge of disappointment. "I am very sorry for your loss, Swan." He said sincerly.

"Me too." She attempted a sad smile and failed. At least this was true.

"I came here to tell you that we're leaving now. Come to the front door in five minutes." He told her.

"Are you coming too?" She asked, not knowing what answer was she hoping for.

"Why, of course, milady." He smiled brightly at her, so that she couldn't stop herself from smiling back.

He disappeared around the corner and she leaned her head against the nearest wall and choked a sob. And it wasn't because the unexpected pregnancy. It was because she was back to running. Running from people, running from love. Why the hell couldn't she just tell him it was his baby? _Why the bloody hell not_? Why did she have to make herself carry this burden all alone? And why, _why in the world_ was she so afraid of even the possibilty of finding love again- with this man, who seemed to be unnaturally and completely perfect?

_Because you're a coward._ Whispered a harsh voice deep within her. _Because you're broken beyond repair, because your love never lasts long. Because you can't stop running._

She allowed herself to lose herself in her pain and sorrow for five seconds. Only for five seconds, and then she'll be back in control. _One, _she counted, a single tear sliding down her cheek. _Two, Three, Four, _She inhaled deeply.

_Five._

And she shook her head and went to her room to fetch her sword, wiping away her tears.

She met the prince, Thomas (Who was smiling very widely) and another knight that nodded respectfully as she greeted him.

"So, you're a princess now?" Asked Thomas, eyes shining with humor.

"I guess so," She smiled back.

"It's an honor to serve Snow White and King James's daughter, your Highness." Said the older knight.

"I am not sure I understand what does it even mean, frankly." She confessed.

"Just know that your parents were great leaders. I'd follow them everywhere. When they were forced to retire I prefered moving here rather than having to serve the Evil Queen. If you are half the leader they were, the people will be loyal to you."

Emma nodded, a bit overwhelmed by the passion in his voice. She climbed onto her horse and took the reins.

They rode into the darkness.

-xxx-

Queen Abigail and King Frederick weren't really shocked when the Evil Queen paid them a visit later that day.

"Hello, dears." She smiled, a threat hidden in every word she said. "I am not one for small talk, so I'll make it rather short- hand over Snow White's daughter. I can and will make you suffer if you disobey me."

"She's not here." Said Queen Abigail, standing up. "And you won't lay a finger on her."

The queen breathed in deep, and her eyes glowed in purple. "Well, she really isn't here, is she?" She laughed. "But I will find her. She will not ruin what I have built."

And with these final words, she disappeared in a cloud of purple, swirling smoke.

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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again :) I'm back, and my muse was being very kind to me.**

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_It was one of the moments that made life worthwhile. They were lazing in the bright green meadow just outside of the village, deep into the lovely afternoon, his head rested in her lap and she was running her fingers through the brown curls lovingly. The sun colored everything gold, and the scents of the grass and the earth were almost intoxicating._

"_You don't have to keep doing this, Emma." Graham suddenly said, turning around to look at her from his place in her lap._

"_What?" She looked down at him, raising an eyebrow. He sat up and the golden light made his eyes gleam with seriousness._

"_You don't have to work as this bastard's pet, Emma. You deserve so much better."_

_She laughed at that, partially because after nearly four years as the puppet she was she couldn't imagine her life being different in any way, and partially because she didn't want to allow herself fall into one of the overwhelmingly wonderful illusions that being with him caused her sometimes. He was so good, probably the best thing that had ever happened to her. She couldn't quite believe he was actually real._

"_I mean it, Emma." He solemnly promised._

"_With what would I pay people? My dazzling smiles?" She chuckled, demonstrating an excessively large smile that made her nose wrinkle and gave him a clear view of her entire set of teeth._

"_I'd have accepted them as payment," He said with a sly grin as he pushed her down to the grass gently until her back hit the ground. She smiled and dragged him down with her to kiss him lightly. "I could take care of you, Emma."_

"_Graham, you're a huntsman." He brushed her hair of her face with his soft fingers, smiling sadly at the statement._

"_That I am."_

"_You won't have anything to eat, wear or live in if you'll have to take care of me as well."_

_He laughed at that, a short sound that was filled with just enough fondness to make her heart swell in her chest. "I could get another job. You could get a job in any king's guard, with this talent of yours. It's not impossible, Emma."_

_The solid look in his eyes made her seriously begin to consider it. "Do you really think we can do this?" She asked, her green eyes slightly wider than usual as they met his brown ones._

"_Of course I do." He smiled. "I have faith in you. In us."_

_She smiled wholeheartedly at his words. "I love you very much, Graham." She finally said._

"_I love you, too." He leaned down to kiss her again and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, mostly to feel his chuckle against her lips. Happiness was bubbling in her chest as she finally allowed herself to fall freely into the beautiful fantasies about the future he had just offered her._

_He went out on one of his hunting trips in the following day and his promise to return quickly still rang in her ears when he came back four days later, cold and hard in a simple, wooden coffin._

"_I'll never forget you, Graham," She cried as she kissed his cold lips for the hundredth time. "I promise. I swear." She took his hand in hers and kissed it, staining the fabric of his sleeve with her tears, then squeezed it lightly, like he used to do to her when he wantd to know if she was still with him. _

_He didn't respond._

_She couldn't figure out what was she even expecting as bitter, bitter disappointment and heartbreak washed over her all over again._

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She was living in Queen Abigail's cabbin for over three weeks now. She even found a small garden behind the cabbin and began tending it, remembering fondly the long, pleasent hours she had spent doing so with her mother as a young girl.

Thomas was visiting her nearly every two days, and she was greatful for the company. He was definitely getting much better with the sword, now they were having friendly little duels every now and then, using thick branches as swords, that were very similar to the ones she had with her father as a kid. Those small reminders of her parents were stinging her heart like cold, ruthless tiny niddles, especially now, with all the new information.

The prince was coming quite regularly too, keeping her up to date with his parents' plan of helping her to inherit the thrones, even though there wasn't much to tell yet, except for the fact tat both Regina and George were now secretly looking for her, not wanting the people to know she was alive. And he was confusing her. Very much so, with his sly, playful remarks and the fresh memory of the decleration of his intentions towards her combined.

And that baby of his, that was growing within her body.

Against every last drop of logic in her mind, her love for the unexpected creature in her stomach was growing every day. She was more than merely surprised to find out that the idea of having a baby didn't frighten her as much as it did back when she had no one that even knew her name. She was a lot better now. Things weren't ideal, but they were much better.

When she was alone, she spent her days sleeping. Mostly sleeping, anyway. Some nights were filled with cruel nightmares, that attacked her mind and woke her up, leaving her breathless and terrified and not wanting to go back to sleep. She'd get herself together, in nights like these, tell herself it wasn't really happening and that she needs to go back to sleep.

It worked, almost every time.

The only exceptions were nightmares that were made straight out of her most terrible memories. In nights like these she would stare at the ceiling for hours, wetting the pillow with the hot, salty tears that she would never shed in front of anyone, and that is only in the times when she actually managed to wake up, to pull herself out of the sodding center of the circle of her dancing, howling demons.

She was used to those nightly delights, though, she's been having them ever since she was sixteen.

What a bloody bliss.

-xxx-

When Killian walked into the cabbin late in a peaceful afternoon, eager to share news, he found it quiet. He looked out through the small window in the kitchen only to get more worried as he didn't find her in her little garden. He checked every room before heading towards the tiny bedroom. There was no answer to his firm knocks so he got in.

The princess was lying in her bed, her eyes were closed, sweat broke on her brow and soft, heartbreaking whimpers were escaping her parted lips. He suddenly felt the urge to wake her up, hold her close, kiss her brow and take her pain away. He could recognize a nightmare when he was witnessing one.

He hurried to sit down on the bed next to her and took one of her hands in his, stroking it and squeezing it. "Wake up, Emma." He whispered, sending his free hand to wrap around her and pull her up, forcing her out of the dream. "It's just a bad dream." He promised her.

Her eyes remained shut as she shook her head and wrapped her arms around his chest, burrying her face in it. Her entire body was shaking with barely suppressed sobs.

"What was it, then?" He asked her, knowing clearly that pushing her now won't do any good.

"It was him." She cried, her voice hoarse. "It was real. He was real again."

His heart clenched for her as he understood. "The father of your child?" He asked her. "Graham? Was it him?"

It took her a moment to recall what did she tell him about Graham, but she nodded before remembering completely.

"Would you like to tell me about him?" He silently asked. "Or about the dream?"

She stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding. He felt happiness jolting through him as she did.

"Whenever you're ready, love." He said. She nodded again.

Long minutes had gone by before she finally spoke. She could tell him that he was a crook that made her fall in love with him and broke her heart. She could say she had seen him getting killed right in front of her, which would explain the nightmares. She could lie, it was so much easier than telling the painful truth. she didn't know what drove her to do so. "He was a huntsman." She said quietly. "He was kind, and he was loyal. He loved me when I thought I would never be loved again. He wanted a future, a family. I wanted that too. He hunted somewhere he shouldn't have and the Evil Queen crushed his heart and sent his body home to me. And now I dream of him nearly every night." She stopped to breathe deeply, her eyes were scanning him, and then, as if she could read his mind, she spoke again. "You shouldn't feel obliged to tell me your own shit now. I told you because I wanted to. I needed to. Thank you."

He was silent for a lingering moment. "Emma?"

"Hmm?"

"I would very much like to hold you now, if you don't mind."

She half laughed and half sobbed as she answered. "I would very much like to be held right now, if you don't mind."

He smiled slightly at her and gathered her in his arms, holding her close, hoping that the proximity to another human being would help her.

When he saw her like this, all vulnerable and fragile, he forgot all about the things he had been thinking about over the previous couple of days. He couldn't care less about the troubles this baby of hers could bring upon him. All he wanted to do forever was to mend her wounds, to ease her pain.

He was falling for Emma Swan. Too hard and too fast to fit his liking.

Long hours passed before he felt her falling back to sleep on his shoulder. It wasn't so long until he leaned her against the pillows and left the room, knowing that she wasn't ready for more.

There was so much pain in her past, enough to corrupt a soul for good. But she was so good, so kind and gentle- even the rough parts of her were still filled with the powerful need for love. He could see it. He could feel it.

-xxx-

"Your parens _what_?" Emma almost spitted out the water she was drinking. He was still there when she woke up, in the following morning, observing her growing garden with a small smile on his face.

"They want you to be seen in public." Killian said, scratching behind his ear. "That's what I came here to tell you."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time. I just wasn't sure I understood you correctly, because this is the most idiotic plan I've ever heard."

"Why?"

"Because after all the trouble they went through to hide me, why the hell should I just show up somewhere, where anyone could find me?"

"There's more to this plan, I'm sure of it, I'll come back for you with answers." He promised. She nodded. "I have to go now. I never meant to stay here for more than a couple of hours." She nodded again. He smiled and kissed the back of her hand, causing her to smile as well. "Be safe, Emma."

"You be safe." She grumbled, making him laugh slightly.

"As the lady wishes." He bowed, already starting to head outside.

She leaned against the frame of the door as she watched him riding away. He was stealing glances of her freaquently before he disappeared into the woods.

This game of theirs was confusing. She couldn't understand why did he stick to her even now, after she thought she had destroyed every chance of a relationship with him when she told him she was carrying the child of another, a statement that really _should_ have pushed him away from his vow to win her heart.

And that brought up another issue.

The terrifying recognition was right there, deep in her mind and heart, and it was getting harder to deny it every day.

He was succeeding.

There was _something_ in her chest. _Something _that was absent since Graham's death. And this something was bringing dreams and hope for a future she knew she could never have.

As she was pacing nervously around the cabbin, she suddenly heard footsteps. The door was closed, and she didn't hear it opening. Her sword was in her hand within a second.

She carefully walked towards the sounds.

"No need for this charming little sword, dearie." Said a voice from behind her.

She turned abruptly to face her unwanted visitor.

"My, my, and they said your mother was the fairest of them all, my dear princess."

"Who are you?" She asked, now visibly begining to panic.

The golden skinned man giggled, a sound that only added to the moment's negative affect on her. "Oh, dearie. Dearie-dearie-dearie. I have many names." He began to circle her slowly. "But I am best known as Rumpelstiltskin."

"The Dark One." Emma whispered.

"Ooh, a smart princess. This is very good."

"What do you want from me?"

"For now, nothing, but you'll have to come with me."

"There is no way in hell-" With a flick of his hand, she passed out.

"Of course there is, dearie." He giggled. "There always is."

She woke up hours later, in a dark, damp dungeon.

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**Review? :3**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi :D This is a pretty short chapter. Important though. Writing it helped me through the Onceless Sunday. Hope you'll enjoy it! :)**

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The dungeon was cold and damp, and it's floor was covered with straw. As Emma's eyes got used to the dark, she noticed the stains of blood on the walls.

_Fantastic_, she thought.

Her instincts drove her to explore the cell, tapping every brick in every wall to find a loose one.

"There's no use," Said a voice from the other side of the wall. "He comes here once a day to fix everything with magic. I'm afraid we're stuck."

"Who are you?" Asked Emma, leaning against the wall that their cells probrbly shared.

"I dare not speak my name here." Said the man behind the wall. "I'd rather believe he does not know my name yet."

"How long have you been locked up down here?" She asked.

"I don't know. Days. Maybe weeks. I lost count." He answered. The deep despair in his voice made her heart ache for him.

"It's autunm, outside." She informed him, hoping to help him somehow.

"Months, then. I got caught when it was still winter."

"Why are you here?"

"You really do have an awful lot of questions, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I do. Why, then?"

The man behind the wall chuckled weakly. "I stole from him, and he wants to know where did I hide it, and-" He stopped abruptly.

"Are you there?" She whispered, suddenly worried.

"Don't waste your time talking to him, dearie." Said Rumpelstiltskin, who seemed to appear in her cell.

"What did you do to him?" Emma demanded, suddenly furious.

"Nothing, dearie, nothing at all, I just put him to sleep so that we can have a little… Chat." He grinned, exposing a set of rotten, disgusting teeth.

Emma swallowed her fear. "What would you like to talk about, Dark One?" She asked.

"Oh, the terms of your release, of course!" He cheered, then giggled. "You didn't really think I'd keep the daughter of Snow White and her Charming prince locked in my dungeon forever, did you?"

"Please, forgive me for doubting it." She sneered bravely.

"Oh, and a brave princess as well! Well, that makes things a lot more interesting, doesn't it? Not that I ever doubted that, considering your bloodline."

"What do you want?" She demanded.

"Oh, many, many things. But I do believe I have alrady told you."

"If all you want is to set me free, why catching me in the first place?" She asked, fear now leaking through the cracks in her mask of bravado. He was playing games with her, and she didn't like it.

"Oh, I said that I am willing to tell you the terms of your release, not that all I wanted was to let you go. You are way too valuable for me to do that, princess." He cleared his throat. "I will be willing to let you go, _if_," He looked right into her eyes. "You'll defeat me in a duel."

Emma was silent for a moment. "So let me get this straight- If I, _right now_, will fight you and win- you'll just let me go?"

Rumpelstiltskin nodded, smiling. "And if you lose, you're allowed to call for a rematch whenever it suits you, and as many times as you might need."

"Well, if that's so, let's do this now, shall we? May I have my sword?" he smiled and with a flick of his fingers her sword appeared in her hand. He pulled his own sword out and giggled, a sound she was quickly growing to loathe.

"Begin," She breathed and threw herself towards him, pointing her sword forward, aiming for his heart, if he even had one. Her sword was supposed to slash right through the imp's heart but he disappeared, reappearing not even a moment later right behind her with his blade pressed to her throat.

"Drop your sword, dearie, I believe you've been beaten." He murmured in her ear. She shivered with disgust and did as he commanded.

"I can't win when you're cheating." She huffed, willing him silently to keep his distance, knowing that he would kill her if she'll say anything.

"Magic isn't cheating, dearie. It's the very meaning of our little game. Our deal remains- I'll let you go once I'll be beaten by you in a duel. Until then-" A cloud of swirling, dark red smoke enveloped her and the next thing she saw were the ominous walls of her cell.

"What does he even want from you?" Asked the man frombehind the wall.

"I don't know." She whispered, feeling as if despair was running through her veins.

He was silent for a second. "What are you going to do, then?" He chose to ask eventually.

She looked down on her stomach, wishing with all she had that nothing would happen to the baby inside of it. "I don't know." She whispered again.

-xxx-

Once again, Killian couldn't find Emma when he got to the cabbin in the following day.

"Emma?" He called, assuming she was somewhere in it. He checked the garden, the kitchen, the bedroom. She wasn't there.

"Oh, I really didn't expect you to leave such a pretty princess alone in the woods, dearie." Giggled an all too familiar voice from behind him.

"Crocodile." Hissed the prince, fear attacking him violently. "What have you done?"

"Hello to you too, your Highness," Said the imp, mock insulted. "Ah, yes, the princess. You seem to be quite fond of this nice little decor I recently found. Too bad she's useful. I would have enjoyed slitting this pretty throat of hers in front of you. Slowly. And yet- who knows. Maybe some day."

"I'll haunt you for the rest of your days if you'll even think of doing as much as laying a finger on her." Killian growled, pain and rage he most certainly did not want to show creeping into his glare.

"This is a very long time you're talking about, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin smirked with malice.

"Not if I find a way to kill you." He said through gritted teeth. His old foe's smirk widened.

"Ooh, quite intense, your Majesty. You managed to get over Milah after all, I see."

With eyes full of tears and a frustrated, pained yell the prince pinned the imp against the wall of the cabbin. "You've taken one love from me, already, Crocodile. I won't let-"

"Oh, so you love her!" Cheered the imp. "I thought this might be the case, she called for you in her sleep, once. This is simply fantastic!"

Killian's heart ached as he actually imagined Emma in the dark castle for the first time. "Let her go, Dark One." He urged, almost _begged_. "She didn't do anything."

"Oh, worried about your baby?" He smiled. "Yes, I have noticed your little offspring growing within her."

"'S not mine." Killian snarled, jealosuy now washing over him as well. He knew it was stupid, being jealous of a dead man, but he couldn't help it. Emma seemed to love him very much, still. On the other hand, it wasn't completely fair of him to act this way, considering his reaction to the mere metion of Milah's name.

"Oh." Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "Well, this is indeed very interesting."

And with these last words, he was gone, probably back in his castle, with Emma. A very scared, shaken Killian, whose legs refused to carry him any longer, fell to the floor.

Her name was all he could think about.

_Emma. Emma. Emma._

-xxx-

Emma woke up at once, to find her captor staring at her from the other side of the cell. It was her third day there, and she had not once, not twice, but _five_ times tried to invite him to a rematch, knowing clearly that she'll lose. "What do you want?" She asked.

"Oh, how impolite of you, dearie, I only came here to visit you." He smirked.

"I don't believe you." She quietly declared.

"I knew you wouldn't." He giggled. She hated the sound. "I came here to offer you a way to get out of here."

"Another way?" She asked, utterly surprised. "Would you allow it?"

"No, no no no, of course not. You'll still have to beat me to get yourself out of here."

"What are you offering, then?" She ignored the slight disappointment she felt, because _what was she even expecting anyway._

"Well, dearie, your parents… They happen to have one of the most unique love stories I have ever witnessed. What they had- it's called True Love. Which makes you a product of True Love. And as a product of True Love, you have certain… Abilities. _Special_… Abilities."

"Get to it, imp." She growled at him, getting angrier by the second. "What are you _offering_?"

"Magic, dearie." He grinned. "I'm offering you to no loger waste your potential and time and use your _magic_ to get yourself out of here."

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**Okay... Explanations will be given. In the next chapter. Meanwhile... Review? :3**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello again :P I kinda enjoyed writing this one... I hope you'll enjoy reading it!**

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"Magic?" Emma whispered, unable to manage anything louder.

"Well, yes, dearie. Unless you had another way of defeating me figured out during the last couple of days." He answered, getting visibly impatient. "I'm offering to teach you the ways of magic."

There wasn't even a moment of hesitation before her next question was shot into the air. "What's in it for you?"

He took three short steps in her direction then disappeared and reappeared deep in her personal space. "That is no concern of yours, princess." He practically _spat _the title out, as if it was an insult. "The question you should really ask is what's in it for _you_."

"Accept for my freedom?" She inquired, licking her lips nervously. She was clearly desprate to get out of the dark dungeon, to get away from him, but she wouldn't agree to the deal until she'll know all the details, he noticed. He smiled widely.

"Oh, far beyond it." He promised. "Far beyond anything you can possibly imagine. Magic is power, dearie, and you have the potential of having a lot of it." He was now circling her with slow movements that were driving her insane. "You could get everything you desire. I heard about your little plan of taking over George and Regina's kingdoms." he laughed at her expression, a short and unpleasent sound. "Oh, don't look so surprised, dearie. I have eyes and ears everywhere. But magic can get you that. Magic can make you the most fearsome queen any realm had ever known. Magic can get you happiness. Magic can get rid of that little charming thing in your belly so that you could marry your prince."

Emma went pale immediately, her hands instinctively going to cover her stomach, to hide her baby from the monster in front of her in any way possible. "How do you know about-"

"About what?" He giggled. "Your feelings for the addoptive son of Queen Abigail? His child that is right now growing inside you? I know everything, dearie. I know, for example, that he had lost his brother when he was twelve, and that the king and queen fancied him and took him in. That he has no clue that you are in fact carrying _his_ child and that in a dark, hidden corner of his heart, he desperately, _desperately_ wishes it was his. I know-"

"Stop."

"I am not done quite yet, dearie. There's still a lot for you to learn about your love."

"I said _stop._" She was shaking. Whether it was because she was cold, afraid or angry- she couldn't tell. Maybe all three. "You have no right to tell me these things. Only he has it. And he would tell me if he'd want me to know."

"Oh, my, princess. How… how moral of you." He stopped pacing around her, and she felt somewhat relieved at that. "My offer remains. I'll teach you the ways of magic. If you'll be able to use it to defeat me, I'll let you go. If you'll try using them to get away, oh, then- and I promise you that- I will hunt you down, and I will kill that baby of yours, in addition to your prince, who I long to kill for years now anyway." _Do you know the prince?_ She wanted to ask, but her voice failed her, due to the threats he had just thrown into the air. "Call my name three times when your ready to make the right choice." He said before he vanished in what she had come to know as his typical sort of magical smoke.

Emma shivered, pure horror washing over her in waves. Less than two months ago, she wouldn't have even imagined something like this at all. All the more that something like this would happen to her. But it didn't matter. She couldn't let him harm the people she loved. She spent an hour trying to gather enough courage to make the next move.

She cleared her throat. "Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelst-"

"No need to proceed, dearie." He said from behind her, causing her to flinch. "Well?"

Emma swallowed her fears, hiding them deep within her. "I accept your offer. In one condition."

Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "And just what might that be?"

"I win once, and you let the prisoner in the cell next to mine free."

"The theif?" He asked, baffled.

"Yes, but I haven't finished. I win once, you let him go. I win for the second time, you let me go. And you leave me and my loved ones alone."

"Winning a second battle is nearly impossible, dearie." He told her. "Winning the first one would require something close to a miracle, but at least then you can still surprise me."

Emma nodded. "I know."

"You could stay here for years."

"I know."

He was silent for a short moment. "This is quite the foolish move, princess."

She chose to ignore the remark. "Do you agree to my terms?"

He observed her carefully before answering. "Yes."

"Good."

-xxx-

"Stop thinking! _Feel_! Magic comes from emotion." Her eyes were shut, The candle in front of her was refusing to be lit.

"I'm trying." She growled, getting more and more frustrated with each passing moment.

"Would you like me to help you? Would you like me to remind you of things that lie deep within you, covered with dust and denial? You've been here for over a week, now- it's time."

Emma shook her head at his words, shutting her eyes harder. "You know nothing about me." She said. She wasn't completely sure it was true anymore.

"Oh but I do, dearie." He grinned, pleased at the opportunity to get under her skin. "I know both your parents died when you were 16. I know you think your father got sick from heartbreak and died when he actually committed suicide, being too weak to stay with you."

Emma shook her head again, her hands trembling. It wasn't true. She knew it wasn't. But, then, again… _Did she_? She was't home when he died. She came back home to find him lifeless and cold.

"I also know about your friend, August. A funny thing, his past as a puppet. It was quite amusing watching him squirm and scream as I turned him back to the dull marionette he used to be."

"It was you?" Emma asked silently, hate and pain making her eyes shoot sparks.

"Yes, dearie." He smiled wickedly. "And I also know about your dearest love, about your huntsman. He was quite the honorable man, was he? Did you know I was there when she crushed his heart? The Evil Queen. In the very room. She fancied him, asked him to stay with her as her lover. Thought he wouldn't be able to resist, since her youthful glow was preserved- thanks to magic, by the way- but he did. He truly, truly loved you. He was desperate to come back home, to come back for you. Too bad he couldn't."

A single tear was slipping down her face. "Enough."

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if they didn't die? Or are you not letting yourself do such things? Is that why you didn't tell the prince about his baby? Because you knew having a child of another man would keep him away from you, so that he could never leave you? You just can't be loved, can you princess? your life is a proof to that. You are doomed to take care of yourself, to be alone forever- you are-"

"I said _enough!_" She yelled, a pulse of white light beaming from her in a widening circle, blowing back the imp's hair and lighting every candle in the hall. His satisfied grin made her knees go weak. "I hate you." She whispered, a sob rocking her body violently.

"I think that's enough for today, princess." He said, sending her back to the dungeon in a cloud of smoke.

-xxx-

He's had the princess captive for almost three weeks now. She was quite the talented sorceress, he had to admit, much better than most of his students. What a pleasure would it be to finally corrupt her pure soul, teach her the complicated art of the dark magic, have her as a queen instead of those two fools, Regina and George. And most of all, see the prince's face as he'll witness the dark form of his beautiful sweetheart.

The prince was going mad. He could see it when he watched him through his crystal ball. He was barely sleeping or eating, always pacing aroung and throwing glances towards the door, probably hoping that she'll come through it at some point.

It would have been quite amusing if he didn't have the feeling that his foe would come himself to rescue his love, and by that destroy the darkness he had planted in her heart over the last few weeks.

He could not let that happen.

He summoned the princess, who appeared in front of him right away. She had lost weight, he could see that. It wasn't good for what he was going to have her do for him. "Hello there, princess." He greeted her. She didn't answer, nor even looked at him. "There's something I need you to do for me." He coughed. "It involves your prince." He addaed, knowing that it would get him her attention. He was right.

"What?" She whispered, looking up at him.

"I fear he plans to come here and rescue you himself." He informed her. "I am going to send you to him, to tell him that I'll make sure to kill him if he does. I'll take you back when the deed is done."

"Wait, wh-?" She didn't even manage to gasp before he had her sent away in a cloud of magic.

She reappeared in the cabbin, and when she looked down at herself she found out that she was clean and wearing a white, long, simple gown that brushed the tiles of the floor gently and glowed softly in the darkness of the night. Her hair was down, reaching the middle of her back, and her feet were bare.

She silently walked towards the bedroom and opened the door. The dark figure of the prince on her bed made her eyes fill with tears. She opened the door wider and he turned in his sleep at the slight creak.

She walked towards the bed and kneeled beside it, laying a hand on his back. He woke up at once, his hand catching hers. She gasped and he turned to look at her.

"Emma?" He breathed. She nodded, tears flowing freely on her face as he fell to the floor next to her and gathered her in his arms, burrying his face in her neck. "How are you here? How did you escape?"

Her heart broke at the truth she had to tell him, at the hope in his voice. She tightened her grip on his chest before she answered. "I didn't." She choked on her own tears. "He sent me here to warn you." He pulled away from her to look into her eyes. "He said that he'll take me back after I do." She whispered as his thumb wiped away her tears. "We don't have much time."

"It matters not, my love." He said, his voice soft. "I will come for you. I'll find you."

"You can't." The dam was broken, she was crying. "He sent me here to tell you he'll make sure to kill you if you do. You must promise me you won't. Promise me this." She sobbed, holding his head in her hands, running her fingers through his hair absent-mindedly.

"Emma, I-"

"Promise me. I will get myself out of there. I can't lose you, too."

He gulped, tears shining in his eyes. "I promise you, Emma." He said through gritted teeth. One of his hands came to remove hers from his face and he pressed his lips to it softly. "Just come back to me," He pleaded and pulled her close again.

"I will." She whispered in his embrace, her face burried in his chest. And then she disappeared. Just like that, he was holding nothing in his hands.

Seeing her again was like falling off a cliff. There was no stopping it, no denying it- his entire soul was hers. He trusted her with his heart. She will get back to him. She has to.

-xxx-

When she appeared in the dark castle her face was damp and her eyes were swollen, and he took evil pleasure from the pain he must have inflicted. His enemy must be drowning in it. "Well, have you told your prince not to come for you?"

She looked at him with such hatred he almost flinched. "You know I did." She gulped and wiped away her tears. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"What makes you believe I do?"

"You sent me. You knew how would he react and you sent me anyway. You could have just gone yourself. And you seem sickeningly joyous every time you say something about hurting him."

The Dark One sighed and sat on the dining table. "Let me tell you a little tale, dearie."

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**Aaaaaannnd there it is... :P  
Review? :3**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Longest chapter yet! Whoop Whoop! I hope you'll like it :D**

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_When she appeared in the dark castle her face was damp and her eyes were swollen, and he took evil pleasure from the pain he must have inflicted. His enemy must be drowning in it. "Well, have you told your prince not to come for you?"_

_She looked at him with such hatred he almost flinched. "You know I did." She gulped and wiped away her tears. "Why do you hate him so much?"_

_"What makes you believe I do?"_

_"You sent me. You knew how would he react and you sent me anyway. You could have just gone yourself. And you seem sickeningly joyous every time you say something about hurting him."_

_The Dark One sighed and sat on the dining table. "Let me tell you a little tale, dearie."_

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"Once upon a time," He began, earning an annoyed huff from the princess. "There was an immortal man. The man was blessed with a beautiful flower that grew in his garden. He found so much meaning in the flower, that he never wanted to live without it. So every night, at midnight precisely, he would approach the flower when it was deep in it's slumber, and repair every damage the cruel time has caused it over the day. And just like that, the flower had kept the man happy for centuries." Emma's brow was frowned. "Until one day, another man, a greedy man, plucked the flower out of the garden to which it belonged, and just like that, all the years it was protected from so carefully landed on it, crashing it, corrupting it's beauty, taking it's life away. And the man was left alone, in the dark."

Emma nodded, biting her lip. "What was her name?" She asked without looking at him.

"Milah." He answered without hesitation. "Her name was Milah."

It was sick. It was utterly sick. Emma couldn't feel anything but sorry for the woman, the flower, whose wishes and choices weren't even mentioned in the twisted tale she has just been told. Who would want to live forever? Life is short and you only get to live once, but that's what makes them so beautiful, so precious. That's what makes love so meaningful. And whatever he had with this woman, this Milah, it wasn't love. Not if he speaks of her, even after her death, as if she was his property. His _flower_.

"There is something new I'd like to teach you, princess." He said after a long silence.

"Is it something that is going to help me get out of here?"

"It could, princess." He was excited. She could see that. "I want to teach you how to pull out a heart."

His words hit her like a fist. "Like-" She attempted asking, only to be stopped by her suddenly dry throat. She gulped and cleard it. "Like the… like Evil Queen did- Like she did to Graham?" She was shaken anyway, she didn't need this- but he nodded.

"Yes, dearie."

"I'll never do that. To anyone." She stated, repulsed and terrified.

"Not even to her? Not even to the Evil Queen? To the one who took your love away?" He was taunting her, she could tell. She shook her hear firmly.

"Never."

Rumpelstiltskin huffed. He had been waiting for this for too long. He thought that seeing her love was going to give her the final push. To make her enough desperate to get out. But he was probably wrong. And he was done waiting for her. With one quick movement of his hand he launched himself to the large chandelier and sat on it, then summoned a black unicorn to stand right in front of her. "It is crucial that you do what I say now, dearie." He shouted from above her. "Your baby's life is at stake."

She looked up to him in disbelief and undeniable hatred. "You are a monster!" She exclaimed, fear rushing through her veins, cold and energizing.

"Send your hand into it's chest. Will it to plunge into it. Concentrate." He instructed her.

"You're mad!" She yelled, the adrenaline in her blood making everything around her even more insane.

"Do it!" He ordered harshly. "I can and will hurt this baby of yours."

She braced herself and apologized silently before shooting her hand into the unicorn's body. Horror washed over her as she did.

"Wrap your fingers around the heart and pull it out."

She obeyed, pulling the heart from it's place. The beast grunted in pain and she immediately let go of it, backing off from it and looking down. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can!" He yelled, abruptly appearing next to her.

She sobbed as she pulled the heart out. She looked at it as if she couldn't believe it was there.

"It's now yours. Command it to bow down. Wish it to."

With her thoughts alone, she forced the magnificent creature down. Her heart broke as it closed it's big eyes, defeated. Just as she was.

"Now crush it."

"What?"

"Crush it. Kill it. Finish it."

"I can't," She protested weakly, knowing that eventually she will and trying to delay the inevitable.

"Yes, you can." He said, placing his hand on her stomach. She flinched but he held her still and suddenly an unfamiliar, unpleasent feeling spread within her.

"No, _please,_ stop," She begged him.

"Do it!"

Her sobs grew louder as she tightened her grip on the heart and the unicorn begged for mercy in his animalistic way. After a few seconds it was all over. The lifeless beast was lying on the floor and a satisfied imp was grinning at her. "I think that's enough for today." He said, waving his hand to send her back to the dungeon.

"What happened up there?" Asked the man from the other side of the wall. At her silence, he asked again, his tone urgent. "Emma, what happened?" She had told him her name on the second day of her stay there. He had become her one spot of sanity in the entire mad situation, and she was the same for him, after an awfully long time of talking to no one. He knew about her pregnancy, about the magic the Dark One was making her perform.

"H-he told me to rip a u-unicorn's heart out. He threatened my baby." Her voice shook and she sobbed.

"He's a monster." Whispered the man, sounding deeply horrified. _He has a child,_ observed Emma. She didn't say anything, Knowing that revealing any detail of his life could be dangerous for him and for his loved ones, but powerful sadness took over her at the thought. He hasn't seen his child in almost a year. "Is it- Are you alright?" He asked carefully.

She nodded before remembering he couldn't see her. "I think so," She whispered. "I wish _he_ was here."

The man behind the wall sighed with sympathy without even knowing who was she talking about. Frankly, she didn't know exacty as well. Her father? Graham? August? Killian? She needed to feel _safe,_ This was what she truly meant. "I can understand that, lass."

"Rumpelstiltskin forced me to make him promise not to come for me." She confessed, the truth now hitting her with it's full weight.

"He will, Emma."

"He can't. He'll die, and I'll never forgive him for it."

The man behind the wall chuckled a bit. "Sounds like you really love him."

"I do." She whispered. _What a fantastic timing for such acknowledgment,_ she thought.

She didn't tell him about the deal she made with the Dark One to set him free first, only because she knew he'll object. And as much as she missed the outside, her little garden, Thomas, Killian, _everything_, knowing that he had a child made her even more certain. He was a good man. He needed to be reunited with whoever was waiting for him. She didn't regret it for a moment.

-xxx-

Two days have passed before Emma invited Rumpelstiltskin to another duel, the first one since he had started to teach her.

"I hope it'll be more intersting this time, dearie." He proclaimed as he dropped her sword in front of her.

She said nothing at that.

"Begin." He giggled and disappeared. She spun around, predicting his actions, and her sword met his in a loud clash. When he lifted his sword she knew it was her only chance. When he swung it at her she held out her hand to stop the movement. Pain flashed through her as she felt the blade cut deep into her palm, but she couldn't afford to lose it, not now, in the precious moments when he's completely confused by her actions. She did as he taught her, summoning a ball of fire in her injured hand that still held his sword, but instead of letting it spread she focused on the blade, quickly heating it. He hissed in pain and dropped his treacherous weapon, but until he regained control, her sword was already resting on his throat.

"I won." She breathed.

"I believe you did." He said.

She pressed her bleeding, hurting palm to her side, staining her clothes with her blood, and tried as hard as she could to ignore it as her captor waved his hand and the man behind the wall appeared. He had a light brown hair, a beard that must have grown during the time he had spent locked up in the dungeon. "Emma?" He asked. She nodded in response, smiling weakly at him.

"I'm afraid you are free to go now," Said the Dark One.

Emma could see questions swirling in his eyes. "What?" He chose to ask eventually.

"This young lady had made a deal with me to insure your safety and freedom. She had to beat me once to set you free and twice to do so for herself."

"What?" He whispered again. He turned to look at her in disbelief. "Emma, what have you done? What about your baby?" He desperately inquired.

She shook her head. "You were here longer than me. It was the right thing to do."

He rushed towards her. "Emma… I owe you my life now." With tears in his eyes he took her hands in his, only to drop the hurt one as she flinched violently at his touch. "You're hurt."

"Don't worry about it."

"Oh, I see you two have become friends. How sickeningly _nice_." Commented Rumpelstiltskin. "Will you please just say your farewells so that I could send him away?"

"My name is Robin, Emma." He said. "Robin of locksley. Mostly known by Robin Hood. If you'll ever need _anything_, I'll be glad to be at your service."

She nodded. "I'll remember that." She promised, then hugged him tight, not wanting to think of the unknown amount of time she was going to spend without anyone to talk to but the awful imp that was now tapping on his thigh with his long fingers impatiently.

"You can't ever hurt him any of his loved ones," Emma clarified.

"Yes, yes, dearie, you made that quite clear already." He said, annoyed. "Farewell, theif." He said and snapped his fingers, making Robin disappear in a cloud of red smoke.

"Show me that he's okay." Emma demanded.

"You do realize what you just did." He said, looking at her in slight disbelief. "You could have been in your prince's arms right now."

"Yes." She snapped, not wanting to linger on the thought. "Now prove that he's alright."

He muttered something about an _insufferable princess_ before summoning a crystal ball and making a clear image of Robin holding a young boy tight to his chest and crying appear in it. "Are you content, princess?"

She smiled at the blissful reunion. "Yes." She declared. She looked at her injured hand, that was still throbbing with pain, and ran her other hand over it, having every intention of healing it. It wasn't such a surprise when it did. Not for her, anyway.

"How did you do it?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "I didn't teach you that."

"Maybe you underestimated me." She suggested, relieved, now that the oppressive pain was gone.

-xxx-

Robin Hood was strolling through the forest with his son, something that he thought he would never get to do again. Suddenly a loud sound of surprise was heard. "Robin of Locksley." Called prince Killian, one of his oldest mates.

"Your Highness." He smiled as the astonished prince rushed to hug him and clap fondly on his back.

"I thought you were gone!"

"I was captured by the Dark One." Robin lowered his voice so that his son won't be able to hear him. "Almost a year ago."

An unwanted trace of hope falshed in Killian's heart. He wanted to ask how did he manage to get himself out of there, but another question was more urgent. "You were imprisoned by the dark one?"

Robin nodded. "Aye."

Killian gulped. "Did you happen to meet a blonde woman there?"

Robin's eyes widened. "Emma?"

"Yes!" Killian's eyes filled with tears. "Did you see her? How is she?"

"She's the reason I'm free," Said Robin quietly. "I owe her everything."

"I must get to her. I must get her out of there." The prince was running his hands through his hair in anxiety. "I can't-"

"She told me she will never forgive you if you'll come for her." Said Robin. "She fears you'll die." He observed his friend carefully. "She loves you truly. She'll do whatever she can to free herself. As far as I know, she made a deal with the Dark One. If she beats him in a duel once, he frees me, and if she wins a second time, she gets free."

Rage and despair suddenly filled Killian's heart. "How could you let her do this?" He breathed. "How could you let a pregnant woman give up her freedom for the sake of yours?"

"I didn't _know_!" Robin protested. "I would have never allowed it to happen if I did. But you are missing the point. She _defeated _the bloody Dark One in a duel. If she can manage that, she can manage just about everything. She will get back to you, I'd bet my life on it."

All the anger washed away. "I'm sorry, mate. I should have known you'd have never let anything like that happen."

"It's alright, truly."

"Was she really alright, when you saw her?" Asked the prince, looking for some comfort in his friend's knowledge of her.

"She's a tough lass." Replied Robin with a grin. "Wouldn't go up against her by choice, that's for sure."

Killian laughed. Of course she'll get back to him, she defeated the sodding undefeatable on her own. Hope was now settling in his heart, and for the first time in a long time, he had let it.

* * *

**Okay. Okay. What do you think?  
Review..? :3**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: YAAAAA MAAAAAAN! I managed to finish this one even though my life is being a little.. Um... All over the place. I'm really glad I did, I actually have big plans for what comes next. I hope you'll like it! :D**

* * *

"I do hope you're prepared for the hard part," Said the imp after Robin disappeared. Emma looked up to meet his gaze, flabbergasted.

"The _hard part_?" She asked him.

"You didn't really think I couldn't kill you on the spot?" He smirked. "Oh, no, dearie. Make no mistakes. The battle we just had was a battle between a teacher and his student." She immedietaly thought of the duels she used to have with thomas before she got imprisoned. She wasn't doing her best, she didn't tried to hurt him. At most, she was trying to make him trip, and always helped him up as huge grins were quickly spreading on both their faces. She shivered at the comparison, thinking that what she has just expirienced was an example for a friendly battle.

"From now on we will be dueling every night for an hour. I will fight with no mercy, so I recommend you to do the same. Your main goal is to survive, by any means necessary. And to imitate what I do, for I will no longer teach you directly. Your prize for surviving is getting the chance to fight me again in the following night. The cost of losing will be your baby. The prize for beating me will be your freedom and a promise from me not to go near your loved ones, not even the prince."

She gulped. It wasn't open for negotiation, she knew it.

"I do believe it's about time for you to return to your cell, dearie." He said and waved hin hand. He noticed her eyes following the movement and assumed, and rightly so, that she was taking his advice and learning from his actions.

Once she was gone, he allowed himself to grin widely. By mimicking his magic, she was unknowingly practicing dark magic, and dark magic, as he knew better than anyone, was a choice that's hard to back out from. Her heart was blackening. And if it wasn't, it would, because when you fight to save your child, you obey to no rules. Hurting this child will make things even easier for him, for the hole that a lost child leaves in your heart is a hole that can easily br filled with darkness. A dark, powerful queen to rule the Encahnted Forest would serve him well, _very_ well, in fact. He was not going to let such an opportunity slip away from him.

-xxx-

She's been practicing for hours.

She could now, with a swift flick of her wrist, disappear and relocate herself just like Rumpelstiltskin did, though the smoke she disappeared in was white. It didn't feel quite like smoke, she noticed- it was more similar to fog. To her own personal white cloud. And she didn't stop there- she couldn't risk her baby. She had to improvise. She practiced with the dirt and the dust on the floor, ordering it around the cell until she was absolutely sure she could fly things around without any problem. But the training was exhausting, and she wouldn't risk being sleepy in a battle in which she could lose her child.

She _couldn't_ lose her child.

The small human being that was growing inside of her over the last few weeks was now her only source of sanity. She knew that without it, she would lose her mind completely. It was a bad thing (or a good thing, it depends on the way you look at it) that she could rip hearts out now. She just might decied she'd rather rip her own out then to remain locked up with nothing to give her hope and comfort.

She didn't want to think that she might give birth to it in this cursed cell. She didn't want to think about the fact that she could have been free already if she hadn't given her freedom to Robin. She didn't want to think about the fact that fighting Rumpelstiltskin would be a lot harder now. She didn't want to think at all.

* * *

_She didn't realize how lonely she was._

_She didn't truly realize she was alone. She mourned for her parents, she mourned for August, but she had never felt such hardness, suc hcold in her heart, like a coat of ice around her it, until she was in danger._

_she was only eighteen years old, and it was after one of her shows. She hated the new form of them with fervour, the new, revealing costume, the new, seductive bows, the new kind of crowd it was getting her. Men, older than her (sometimes _much _older than her), tha were looking at her with lust in their eyes, that were throwing sexual remarks towards her, telling her about the things they'd like to do to her._

_The show owner ignored her complaints and fears when she expressed them in front of him, telling her that she's lucky that he doesn't sell her body as well, to make nore money out of her, for her to actually _earn _the entire amount of money he was spending on her food and clothes._

_The idea alone was enough to rattle her. she wasn't focused that night. Out of control. And even though she won the battle with ease as usual, it was fairly noticable._

_One of the more repulsive men that watched her fight that night followed her outside She didn't even notice him as she usually would have until it was too late, meaning mere seconds before he pushed her against the alley wall and pressed the palm of his hand to her mouth to silence her screams. He pinned her hands to the wall above her head with his free hand and began thrusting his hips into hers with brutal force, again and again, ignoring her muffled whimpers of pain and fear and her attempts to bite his hand. He was murmuring about the things she was doing to him, about the things he was going to do to her, and the descriptions he provided were detailed enough to make her horror increase. His hand left her mouth and he pressed against her fully as it went down to undo the laces of his trousers, and through her frantic panic attack she recognized an opportunity. Using the fact that he was focused on his pants, she kicked his groin with as much force as she managed to recruit, pushing him off of her and picking up a rock from the ground, knocking him out cold with it before he could recover._

_And then she ran._

_She didn't know where was she running to. had nowhere to run to. No _one _to run to. She just knew what was she _from_. And it was enough for her to make it to another alley, lean against a wall and force herself to count to five._

One_. She cannot cry. _Two. _Other people like him would find her if she would. _Three. _She mutsn't cry. _Four. _No one would come help her, even if she would. _Five.

_And then the panic was gone, leaving nothing but the recognition of her loneliness she had just allowed to invade her heart._

_There was no one left to love her._

_She was alone._

* * *

-xxx-

When he sent her back to her cell, after they fought, she was the most exhausted she's been in a very, _very _long time. She didn't want him to notice, but her confidence in her ability to repeat what she did in the following night, not to mention all the ones to come until (if, corrected a skeptic, bitter, terrified part of her mind) she'll defeat him. She had just spent an hour disappearing and reappearing around the dining hall every two or three seconds, the locations chosen randomly so that he wouldn't be able to predict her actions and beat her.

Or basically, she had just spent an entire hour avoiding a battle.

She didnt like the feeling it caused her. She felt like a coward, as if she had no honor. It stood against almost every single thing her father had ever told her about true bravery in a battle.

But she did it for her baby, and she'd do it a hundred times more, if necessary.

(The way things are right now, it seems like she really would, suggested the worries that lay deep in her heart and mind.)

She had no time to waste worrying. She needed her strenght if she was to continue fighting the imp every night. She found a place to reat her head and closed her eyes with a firm intention to fall asleep.

It was only then that she allowed herself to think of the man she loved.

But only for a brief moment.

A brief moment that was more than enough to shatter her heart into a million aching pieces.

She missed him.

-xxx-

She wasn't going dark.

Rumpelstiltsin was going mad. The smoke she was disappearing in was white and pure as the sodding moonlight. It should have been black as coal, red as blood, heavy, dark blue like the night sky. Not _white._

As the product of true love, being extreme was a part of her nature. When she loved, her love was deeper than the ocean. She hated with equal fervour. If the darkness within her would take over her soul, she would be the most dangerous creature to ever walk the earth, the most fearsome leader any realm had ever known.

But it didn't.

And he knew the reason.

He was watching her right from the start, pulling strings so that she'd always get left alone. He was invested in her future from the very first day, and during the years he was planting seeds of doubt, of pain, of fear, of _darkness _in her pure, powerful heart. Her loneliness helped them grow into thick walls that surrounded her heart, keeping it away from the pain and from love. It was perfect. She didn't believe in her ability to _be_ loved, not to mention actually feeling love for someone else. She was full of self-loathing, never believing herself to be good enough.

But all of this beautiful, useful misery had changed recently.

She had something else guarding her heart now. But this time, it wasn't darkness keeping her away from love- it was love keeping her away from darkness.

And he will not have it.

Not after all this time of patiently waiting for her to grow into the powerful dark queen he needed, not after everything he's been throuhg to ensure her darkness.

He needed to crush that love of hers. He needed to burn it into ashes, tear it away from her. This will surely turn her dark, he didn't know what would if this failed.

He will have his dark queen.

The Dark One does not fail.

* * *

**Okaaaaay.  
Umm... tell me what do you think? :3**


	11. Chapter 11

**Heyy... sorry.. ermmm.. yeah.**

* * *

Her hair was down, visibly longer than it was in their previous meeting. She was wearing that beautiful white gown. Her feet were bare and her green eyes shimmered. Killian hardly even noticed any of these minor details.

She was _here_.

He didn't hesitate before he ran towards her and gathered her in his arms, burying his nose in her shoulder as he felt her cling to him in equal passion. He never wanted her to let go, and she didn't seem to intend to do so anyway.

"Swan," His voice was hoarse, weak. "Emma. My love, you came back." He pulled away to look at her, and _happiness_ didn't even begin to describe what he was feeling. It's been _months_. Months that felt like decades. And she was looking at him with a smile that matched his, with such love in her eyes.

"I love you," She whispered, and her breath was warm on his face. His heart swelled in his chest and he held her face between his palms and kissed her forehead as her hands came to hold his wrists, holding him there as her gaze lowered and turned her head to press a soft kiss to his palm.

"I love you, too, darling." He let out the words in a shaky breath. As soon as they left his mouth he knew no greater truth has ever been said. "So much."

He immediately felt something was wrong in the way she shifted in his embrace. Her grip on his wrists became firmer, and he watched, horrified, as she became bonier by the second. She looked sick. Her cheekbones stuck out, the green of her eyes was dull. Her rib cage was hard and heartbreakingly distinct against his and through her now torn and dirty gown, but the love in her eyes remained. It was a sad, burning love that shattered his heart to a million pieces even before her following words left her mouth.

"Why didn't you come for me, then?"

Guilt washed over him in cold, forceful waves. It increased as she pressed her lips to his slowly, softly, lovingly. Her kiss was warm and pleasent as he remembered it from the night they spent together all this time ago, and it contradicted the fear and the guilt perfectly.

And then she collapsed in his arms. Her eyes closed and she stopped breathing, leaving him alone and terrified. Her entire body went rigid, and then it crumbled into dust, white dust, and a sudden breeze blew it away from him.

Just like Milah.

It was real. The agony was sharp and powerful, her scent still sticking to his cloths. It was real.

-xxx-

It wasn't real.

He shot up to a sitting position, his breath heavy and forehead sweaty. It was a nightmare. A horrible one indeed, but nothing more than a dream.

_Why did it _feel _so real, then?_

He had never experienced such a nightmare, with such sensations. He looked around the dark bedroom of the cabin in the woods, in which he was sleeping every night since she disappeared in hope that maybe she'll return.

He didn't come for her. It doesn't matter if the dream was real or not, it could be. Her physical condition could easily be just as bad as it was in his dream, after over two months as the Dark One's prisoner. Her mental condition wasn't even something he wished to think about.

She had told him not to come for her, he thought, Robin said she'll never forgive him if he does.

Deep in his heart he knew that he'll never forgive himself if he doesn't.

He was slowly becoming insane. Failing at trying to stop himself from imagining what must she be going through, dreaming of her almost every night, only to wake up and find her gone. He needed her.

-xxx-

The Dark One practically giggled as he watched the prince's reaction to the little nightmare he had cursed him with. It was fantastic, far better than anything he had dared hoping for. He will come for her. And then he'll die, and her grief will blacken her heart.

The princess has been his prisoner for over two months. She wasn't as beautiful as she was when he found her. She wasn't as healthy, passionate or strong. She was now a fragile creature, thin and weak, with a heart filled with despair and fear beating in her chest. If this went on just a little longer, the dam would break and every last bit of weakness would turn into darkness, the most powerful darkness any land has ever seen. Because it was way harder for despair to turn back into hope than it was for it to turn into hate. He knew it. Relied on it, actually.

He knew the princess was spending her days sleeping. It was wise of her, he had to admit, but it didn't quite explain those new… _tricks_ she was coming up with every now and then. He had no idea how did she manage to figure out a way to incinerate the chandalier and throw it his way. Or casting shadows all over the dining hall. But she didn't do anything to attack him yet. Self defence alone. He could see that her baby's safety was her first priority, freedom only second to it.

It would all be over now.

If he had any luck she would kill that baby of hers herself, once she goes dark.

-xxx-

She wasn't ready when he magically summoned her to the dining hall, not even nearly. She had no strength left in her. The dark circles under her eyes were not even able to testify how tired she really was. But there was no other choice but doing what's necessary to save her baby.

"Hello, princess." He smirked at her, way too satisfied to her liking. Her instincts came to life, immediately sensing something was wrong.

"Hello." She answered carefully, quietly, only making his smirk grow bigger.

"It's a lovely day, isn't it?"

"What have you done?" She asked without a moment of hesitation, cold fear starting to rush through her immediately. What on earth could possibly make him that happy?

"Why, nothing, dearie." He pretended to be insulted by her accusation. "Accept maybe a tiny little thing. I may have… invited a very special guest to watch us duel today. He should be here any second now." His rotten teeth were now fully exposed in a repulsive smile. "Ooh," He giggled as loud knocks on the castle's front door were clearly heard, only moments later. "Right on time."

He waved his hand, and a typical cloud of swirling smoke appeared, then disappeared to reveal-

No.

Tears filled her eyes as she fought not to run towards the prince, that was tied down to a metal chair that probably appeared with him. What has he done?

His blue eyes suddenly focused on her. "-Mma-!" he barely managed to shout, for a thick fabric scraf was blocking his mouth.

"Yes, yes, perfect. I'm glad you're here, dearie. Your lovely presence may motivate our princess to fight me a little harder."

"Let him go." Emma tried to growl, but failed miserably as her facade of bravado was slowly falling apart.

"But why should I?" Asked Rumpelstiltskin. "He happens to be an old foe of mine. Me wanting him to suffer is perfectly natural, not to mention that it might as well could have had nothing to do with you."

Emma's eyes jumped from the imp to the prince frantically. She knew she could count the seconds she had before her captor would get impatient on both hands. She couldn't let him die. He was the father of her unborn child, the only man she had ever loved since Graham. But she couldn't put her baby at risk. It may have been the hardest choice she's ever had to make.

"I'm waiting, dearie. We wouldn't want anything to happen to your child, now would we?"

Emma could see Killian's eyes narrowing with hate and disgust in the corner of her eye. She had to make a move. She had no other choice.

In a brief moment she disappeared, then reappeared next to the prince. She held on to him as tightly as she could before enveloping them both in the familiar cloud of her white, foggy smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Rumpelstiltskin was alone in the hall.

"Oh, dearie." He sighed, a dangerous expression spreading across his features. "Dearie, dearie. What a mistake."

-xxx-

They reappeared in the cabin in the woods.

As he was struggling to get that damned piece of fabric out of his mouth, she was pacing around the room, her breathing sharp and tears streaming down her cheeks, hands pressed to her stomach and eyes glued to her hands. "Please, please," she mumbled, "please work. Please."

He finally got free and quickly got to her, stopping her movment.

"Get out of my way." She cried, pressing her hands harder to where she could feel her baby was.

"No." He said clearly. "I'm not letting you face this alone, Emma."

"I told you not to come!" She managed to blurt out, eyes shootind sparks of rage. "You promised me!"

"Fine. Then tell me one thing, and I'll apologize with all my heart, and beg you to forgive me for coming. Tell me that if I woulndn't have come, you would have gotten yourself free at some point. That you would have come back to me."

Emma thought about her duels with rumpelstiltskin, how she barely survived to keep her baby safe and sound. "I can't tell you that." She whispered.

"Then I regret nothing."

"But you should!" She yelled, surprising him. "You should! Why do think I didn't just poof myself out of there earlier? He threatened my baby! He threatened you! And now he's going to come after us, and it's all your fault! I was so stupid, and now he'll come for my baby. My baby…" And she burst out crying, falling to the floor, helpless, hopeless. He seemed shocked, but not a moment passed before he dived after her, wrapping his hands around her.

"I will protect you, Emma." He vowed. "Both of you."

"How?" She wept, rubbing her eyes. "He has magic."

"So do you, apparantly, love." He chuckled sadly. "You can stop him. I know you can. I believe in you, Emma." He gulped. "I love you."

She looked up at him, swollen eyes meeting his. "I love you, too."

He's wondered about whether or not she'd say it back if he'd tell her he loved her, and how would it feel to hear it. It didn't match his expectations. It felt natural, simple, easy. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her lips softly, once. Only when she sighed he realized that his eyes were closed and he opened them just in time to see hers fluttering open. "Once this baby is born, Emma," he started, hesitating and insecure of his following words. "I'd very much like to raise it as my own. I want to give you everything." He paused for a short while. "Both of you."

Emma was gazing deep into his eyes. He could see the inner struggle reflecting in hers. "It is yours." She finally said, simply.

His eyes widened wildly, brain refusing to comprehend. "What?"

"My baby." She said, her still tearing eyes serious. "Our baby."

"Is this.." He couldn't get an entire sentence out of his mouth. "Can I.. This is.."

"Yes." She whispered.

His hand twitched, as if he was holding himself back from touching her. "May I.. May I.."

She took his hand is hers and laid it on her growing stomach. He sighed in an emotion close to relief, and then a sudden burst of light shone around them.

Emma could feel her stomach warming up, then cooling down. She knew she's made it.

"What happened?" Killian inquired, eyes still wide with shock.

"It's safe." Emma smiled through her tears. "I cast a protection spell over it."

'I knew you could do it' was not strong enough to describe his sentiments. He just gathered her in his arms again, kissed her head, and stroked her stomach gently.

They were happy. She could feel happiness radiating from him, and the gentle smile that was now stretching her lips was uncontrollable. She placed her hand on his chest.

"Oi!" He called at the sharp sting he felt. "Lass, what did-"

"Now it can't be ripped out." She explained quietly. He was horrified to see what has the dark one done to the sharp, confident woman he knew. She was now weak and fragile, too quiet.

"Thank you, my love."

She just smiled against his shoulder.

"You need to sleep. Let's get you to bed." He murmured and took her in his arms, shocked at how light and bony she became. She buried her face in his neck and sighed, letting him carry her.

He thought his heart would burst out of his chest when she refused to let him go when he put her down. He crawled under the blanket with her and held her tight, happy to hear her breath evening. Finally he fell asleep, and never noticed the dark, shimmering eyes that were watching them from the other side of the room, full of promise of vengeance.

Rumpelstiltskin got closer to them in silent steps, arm stretched forward, magic burning in his veins.

But then he sensed the shield.

That stupid, powerful girl.

"I may not be able to take your baby now," he sang to himself. "But she will be out of you some day. And then, she's mine. You broke our deal, princess. There is a price to pay."

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**Hi.. I'm really sorry I was gone for so long. And, in addition, I can't promise to post regularly. I will bring this story to closure, I promise. I just can't tell when.**


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